Twin Magazine For NHS Fund – a print initiative

Cover image by Yaniv Edry

In the light of the coronavirus health crisis, Twin Magazine has partnered up with a few of our contributing artists for the sale of 10 printed photographs in charity of the National Health Service (NHS) Fund. The initiative launched this morning, features 10 photographers including Benedict Brink, Ben Weller, Daisy Walker, Jo Metson Scott, Joyce NG, Julia Noni, Marianna Sanvito, Scott Trindle, Stefanie Moshammer & Yaniv Edry who have donated 1 image each for the project.

All prints have been framed and moulded from the highest quality real black wood and UV reflected as they have been carefully packaged by our handmade sponsor G.F Smith . The cost of each print ranges from £125 -£175 depending on it’s size. For more information on how to purchase directly , visit Twinfornhs.com

Twin Issue XXI

For issue 21, Twin goes into the wild. Nature is all around this issue: raw, textured, free. We’re putting the spotlight on the untamed and the unconstrained, and within that, the figures who seize it, own it and make others want to do the same.

Take the 8 groundbreaking artists, (Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Renate Bertlmann, Pauline Boudry / Renate Lorenz, Laure Prouvost, Otobong Nkanga Eva Rothschild and Cathy Wilkes) at this year’s Venice Biennale whose diverse and brilliant work sets a new agenda for representation in the art world. Also blazing a new path in the creative landscape is Mira Schor. The artist’s exhibition in New York earlier this year spotlighted on her Californian paintings, where, Kate Neave explains in her tribute Schor’s work, “Naked bodies live alongside wild beasts in exotic, luscious landscapes.”

Wild beasts and a startling, evocative landscape is also the subject of Mark Mahaney’s ‘Polar Night’ series – a captivating meditation on the Alaskan town of Utqiagvik that sees 65 days of prolonged darkness each winter. Humans in nature, and the symbiotic relationship between the two is also explored through the collaboration between Rose Pilkington and photography duo Lola + Pani. Another to embrace the natural world is Natalie Mering (AKA Weyes Blood). The Pennsylvania-born star brings seventies sounds to modern ears, with well suited swagger, and talks over her new album with Liv Siddall. Meanwhile photographer Daisy Walker and artist Alexandria Coe embrace living bodies through a dialogue of flesh and image.

Twin x Trekstock 2019 – A Trek For Cancer Highlights

Images courtesy of Fenn O’meally

Earlier this year, we announced our initiative in collaboration with Whistle and Trekstock in aid of raising funds and awareness for young adults with cancer. For the trek, a group of us including a few members of our teams set to climb the highest peak in North Africa situated in Marrakech for six long days with heavy packs and thrilling cliffs. We also managed to be graced by the presence of photographer Fenn O’meally, who was able to capture all the highlights of each special moment. See a few moments spent below.

Twin x Trekstock x Whistles – A Trek for Cancer

In anticipation of our upcoming exclusive trek in collaboration with Whistles and Trekstock in aid for raising funds and awareness for young adults with cancer, Twin has recently partnered with filmmaker journalist Fenn Omeally for the creation of a short film.

During film Omeally captures a few young, resilient female subjects that have encountered cancer as they revel in a jovial space, exuding positive energy while discussing their personal definitions of freedom.

For the trek, set to take place later this year we will take on the highest peak in North Africa situated in Marrakech. Why? Because 34 young adults are diagnosed a day and when cancer stops you in your tracks in your 20s and 30s, they need Trekstock to get them moving again. And what better way to raise awareness than partnering with some of our companions to spread the word, “We are thrilled to be teaming up with our friends and collaborators at Trekstock and Twin Magazine for such a great cause, and excited to be part of this fantastic fundraising event. Nick Passmore, Creative Director, Whistles”

This will be no walk in the park, with six long days, undulating terrain, heavy packs and making camp by sunset, the team needs your support to help them smash this once in a lifetime challenge. To donate visit Twin x Whistles x Trekstock.

A special thank you to Anna, Ellen, Georgie, Ellen, Caroline & Jolene for sharing their stories.

Around November, Stef found herself in London and happened to meet some great new people, as one so often does when travelling. As a result she embarked on a – quite literally – explosive series of go-sees, and is publishing them exclusively with Twin online. This marks the first in a new series of specially commissioned works from people that we love, and want to showcase – keep your eye out for more of the same in the year to come.

Meanwhile, enjoy this brilliant series from Stef, and discover a little more about her – and these images – below.

What was the idea behind these pictures?
I wanted to shoot a little series of go-sees while I was in London for a week. I really enjoy the process of a go-see because they’re extremely useful, and mostly because people are never what you expect. And every now and then you find someone amazing who you know you could collaborate really well with. I also enjoy dealing with different personalities and finding out how you get along. I usually don’t look at the pictures while I’m taking them, and it’s kind of nice if later on if you find something you like.

Where did you take them?
I took most of these pictures in Notting Hill where we stayed with a friend. Also the fireworks were for Guy Fawkes, but someone felt enthusiastic enough to let them off every night that week. I managed to catch them only once!

When did you first ever pick up a camera? What did you shoot?
I first picked up a (disposable) camera in the first grade and shot a roll of my friends at school.

When did you know that this would become your career?
I wanted this to become my career when I was about 17.

Have you been influenced by anyone over the years? Or is there someone who’s career you’d love to emulate?
I’ve been influenced by different parts of various photographers and artists over the years. But I wouldn’t want anyone in particular’s career. I think it’s exciting to head in your own direction.

What brought you to New York? Can you describe your neighbourhood?
I was traveling through New York and met a girl at a party who ended up bringing me back here by getting me an interview to intern with Annie Leibovitz. I actually ended up marrying that girl and we live on the Lower East Side. The block we live on is the type of place where you can see something inspiring or beautiful and someone projectile vomiting or being arrested simultaneously.

Do you prefer drawing or photography?
I don’t prefer either drawing or taking photos, they’re both nice for different reasons. I definitely get frustrated at times with both and it’s nice to be able to switch between the two.

Do you prefer sounds or silence when you work? If sounds, any particular ones?
I prefer sounds! I like whoever I’m shooting to chose the music so they’re happy. But if they don’t care I like Blood Orange.

Who and where would you still love to shoot?
So many different people! And I want to shoot in Italy, Sweden and the Bahamas. And Scotland!

What’s coming up in the next six months for you?
The next six months – I have a few projects coming out that I’m excited about and will hopefully spend more time running around Europe and dining at as many pubs in London as possible.

Twin Issue XII

Twin’s 12th edition is all about attitude. Edie Campbell talks to fellow model Saskia de Brauw about finding friendship and surviving the fashion game. Photographer Liz Collins explores the new rules of beauty (the good news is, there are none). Skinny Girl Diet, the London band with big ideas and a brilliantly bad attitude, let out a rebel yell. We get up close with talented multi-hyphenate Miranda July as she shares her singular views on middle age and motherhood. Then step inside the Milan studio of Nathalie du Pasquier, the French-born painter of Memphis fame, who extols the freedom of later life. Then another inspirational image-maker, Roberta Bayley, recalls Manhattan’s Seventies punk scene—the perfect accompaniment to 74 pages of scintillating summer fashion.

Wait

Twin’s culture calendar

It’s the start of a new year, and, to be frank, the post-festivity slump can get a little boring. Twin has picked the best of what’s on offer in across art, fashion and new openings for the next six months so you can get planning the year ahead from the safety of your sofa.

Knitwear: Chanel to Westwood

Until 18 January 2015

This major retrospective is nearing its end, which is all the more reason for you to head over to the Fashion and Textile Museum as soon as possible. Charting over 100 years of knitwear history, it explores not only the developments in style but also innovations in technology, from the first crocheted designs by Chanel in the 1930s to Westwood’s 20th century incarnations. Not to be missed are the rare Chanel cardigan suits, 1930s swimwear and vibrant Missoni patterns as well as conceptual garments by Comme des Garçons, Vivienne Westwood and Julien MacDonald: perfect winter wardrobe inspiration.

Warhol is undoubtedly one of the most influential and notorious artists of the 21st century, which is why this revelatory exhibition at the Tate Liverpool, providing a new insight into Warhol’s artistic processes, as well as the social, political and aesthetic implications of his work, is a must-see. Warhol was one of the first artists to span art, media, music, fashion and celebrity, and in doing so, redefined society’s accessed to art and culture. See the iconic Marilyn Diptych alongside his television commercials, fashion illustrations and his pioneering celebrity mag, Interview. An artistic all-rounder indeed.

The most hotly anticipated exhibition this spring, the V&A’s Savage Beauty will showcase the dominant influences and concepts in the late designers’ work. Featuring 10 sections, it will span McQueen’s womenswear, starting with his MA graduate show in 1992 and finishing with his last fully realised collection, Plato’s Atlantis (SS 2010) – widely thought to be his greatest achievement. A chance to understand more about one of fashion’s most legendary personalities, the display will attract more than your average aficionado.

April: the days will be longer and lighter, and summer will be just a breath away. Time, then, to start shedding jumpers and blankets, and trade in your sofa for a bar stool – preferably with a view. The Sky Garden at the top of the Walkie Talkie will span three floors and afford its visitors uninterrupted views over the city skyline. With a cocktail terrace, bar, restaurant and open air terrace set alongside lush landscaped gardens, we predict that this will be summer’s hotspot.

The Fashion and Textile Museum’s exhibition (the first ever) on design pioneer Thea Porter is a perfect celebration of the fashion world’s current crush on all things 70s. The figurehead of boho chic in the 60s and 70s opened her iconic shop on Greek Street in 1966 and immediately attracted a following from the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Barbara Streisand. Highlights from the exhibition include the Abaya & Kaftan; the Gipsy dress and the Faye dress – you might be surprised to find similar silhouettes in your own wardrobe, testament to the influence Porter has had on several generations of fashion.

Readers stateside will surely have gotten wind of the Björk retrospective at MoMA. For those not in the know, the exhibition will showcase the adventurous projects of Iceland’s wonderfully quirky export. It will be presented in a narrative format, co-written by Björk and fellow Icelander Sjón, and culminates in a brand-spanking-new immersive music and film experience in 3D.

The New Versus Versace

Last night the new Versus Versace was launched in New York with an unconventional fashion show. Creative Director Donatella Versace and J.W. Anderson were visible from backstage where they prepared the models, while live performances from Angel Haze, Dead Sara, as well as Twin favourite, Grimes, intercut the runway. The whole event was interactive, streamed live, uploaded to Instagram.

Donatella Versace commented that the event was about bringing together everything she loves. “This mix of music and fashion captures the essence of Versus Versace, a label for a new global tribe,” she says. The collection itself plays with the original Versace DNA, reworking it into new pieces with sharp silhouettes and iconic motifs. With collaborations and limited edition pieces, Donatella Versace hopes to make this a new home for fresh talent and creativity.

J.W. Anderson is just one of the first guest designers who will, in turn, show us their take on the Versus Versace spirit. “The idea behind the collection was about a modern, sharp, Versus Versace, with a focus on the shared wardrobe,” says Anderson, “a man in a woman's wardrobe, and a woman

in a man's”. The result is pieces that toy with gender and sexuality, pieces that should be worn with an attitude of fearlessness. The capsule collection will be available online from June 15, in addition to exclusive behind the scenes footage of the making of the collection.

Ladies’ Day

Look at your calendar. Today is March 8th. For over 100 years, today is when women across the world come together to celebrate and shout about women and issues affecting women.

Author and journalist Kira Cochrane was the Guardian’s women’s editor from 2006 to 2010. She also edited an anthology of Guardian feminist writing, Women of the Revolution, which is out on paperback today.

Twin caught up with Kira to talk about how things have changed for women…

What did you discover about feminism and the way it’s changed from editing Women of the Revolution?
Looking at the history of feminism over the last forty years, what’s interesting is how many of the issues essentially remain the same, even if they’ve shifted and hopefully improved in the meantime. In the Seventies there was huge concern about sexual violence, abortion rights, equal pay, political representation, and there still is today. Also, the attitudes we have to challenge – in ourselves as much as anyone – stay similar, and there’s something powerful in realising that. One of the pieces I love in the anthology is by Jill Tweedie, from 1971, when she writes that women have to fight “the continual and largely unconscious compulsion to be nice”. I think that message is as relevant as ever!

Can you remember your first meaningful contact with feminism? When and what was it?
It was really the example of my mother. I grew up in a pretty non-political household in Essex – I don’t think my mother’s ever referred to herself as a feminist, and we didn’t have political conversations or anything like that – but it was a really political situation. My father died of a heart attack when I was two, my brother was run over and killed when he was eight and I was six, my younger brother was born with serious learning disabilities, which mean he’ll always have to be looked after, and my mother had a major rift with her family, and stopped talking to them almost thirty years ago.

She’d left school at sixteen, and I’ve watched her, throughout my life, work exceptionally hard to look after me and my brother, as a single mother, often working minimum wage jobs (in the days before there was a minimum wage – so we’re talking REALLY minimal!). That provided a pretty awe-inspiring example of female strength. It impressed on me just how powerful women can be, and also how important it is for us to have financial and emotional independence, and a society that values women’s work, while supporting people of both sexes, all backgrounds, when they’re hit by circumstances beyond their control.

What are the main issues affecting women’s rights today that particularly provoke you?
What still really shocks me is the high incidence of rape and sexual assault – and the low incidence of convictions on those charges. I’m as enraged as ever by that.

Have you perceived a change in the way women will identify as feminist in recent years?
Over the past five or ten years it seems the number of young women identifying as feminist has soared – there have been so many great feminist voices appearing online, and I think they’ve underlined how relevant, how current, all these issues still are. I think there was a moment, back in the Ninenties, when there was huge talk of us living in a ‘post-feminist’ age, and women were embarrassed to call themselves feminists, worried they’d be seen as hairy of armpit and dour of personality, but we seem to be beyond that backlash now. I think now too, when we ARE hairy, we’re hairy and proud!

Why is International Women’s Day important?
Obviously, in an ideal world, there would be no need to have a single day set aside for women, but given the issues still facing us, it’s a great opportunity for conversation, activism, performances, campaigning. I became women’s editor of the Guardian in 2006, and there seemed a lot of activity back then, but nothing compared with the explosion of events taking place this year.

What will you be doing on International Women’s Day?
I’ll be interviewing people for a feminist piece I’m writing, and then attending whatever events I can around that. On Friday and Sunday, I’m appearing on panels at the Women of the World festival on London’s Southbank, and I’ll be trying to see as much as I can there too, because it’s a great programme they’ve put together.

What artists/writers/musicians do you admire for promoting female creativity and issues?
So many! Not all of them would define themselves as feminist, but on the art side, Cindy Sherman, Yayoi Kusama, Yoko Ono, Susan Hiller, the Guerrilla Girls, Alice Neel, Louise Bourgeois, Gillian Wearing. I went to New York last year, and made a small pilgrimage to see Judy Chicago’s great feminist work, The Dinner Party, on long-term display at the Brooklyn Museum. That’s some proper Seventies feminist goodness!

In terms of writers, Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Carol Ann Duffy, Jo Shapcott, Maya Angelou, Zadie Smith, Muriel Spark, and Paula Fox. I remember being profoundly moved by Andrea Dworkin’s memoir Heartbreak, and I had never really understood the true meaning of the phrase ‘mind-bending’ until I read Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House last year. That last book is extraordinary, as is Jackson’s short story The Lottery, and her final novel, We Have Always Lived in the Castle.

When it comes to musicians, I’d say Nina Simone, Dinah Washington, Billie Holliday, Aretha Franklin, Bjork, Sinead O’Connor, The Breeders and Tina Turner. I love the way Beth Ditto has spoken about her feminism, and I still love the anger and energy of Liz Phair’s 1993 album Exile in Guyville all these years later.

And then there are the women filmmakers – too many good ones to mention them all, but Nicole Holofcener for making truly grown-up films, Kim Longinotto for making intensely powerful documentaries, and Claire Denis for making really startling, beautiful work.

Which writer would you point young women curious about feminism in the direction of?
I’ve spoken to a lot of women recently who had never really encountered feminism, who have absolutely loved Caitlin Moran’s How to be a Woman, and found it a brilliant introduction to all sorts of ideas. I also think it’s worth checking out Jessica Valenti’s books; Female Chauvinist Pigs by Ariel Levy; and Living Dolls by Natasha Walter. And one of the reasons I had for putting Women of the Revolution together in the first place was to create a book full of serious ideas, and excellent writers, so that people could discover them and decide who they wanted to read more widely. So many women who have inspired me are in there: Susan Brownmiller, Nawal El Saadawi, bell hooks, Gloria Steinem, Joan Smith, to name just a few.

What are you working on next?
I have about 1500 ideas for feminist articles, so I’m just working my way through those – also, plans for another feminist book, and a couple of novels, so it’s a question, as ever, of working out what there’s time for, and then seeing what sticks!

KIRA COCHRANE is the editor of Women of the Revolution (Guardian Books, £9.99) out today. She is a features writer for the Guardian and co-edited the anthology of women’s journalism, Cupcakes and Kalashnikovs. @KiraCochrane

Made By Nike X Bip Ling

Trust Nike to make working out hip and fun. For their new collection, Made By Nike, they’ve enlisted quirky blogger/DJ extraordinaire and Twin friend Bip Ling, to talk about her love of boxing.

The project, worked on by Twin’s Creative Director Becky Smith, uses the Tumblr format in order to make shopping an easy click and buy experience. Meanwhile the pieces, a slick collection of purple hued, grey and black sportswear could easily make it into our everyday wardrobe for some added sports luxe.

Twin caught up with Bip to talk about her involvement…

How did Nike find out you were a fan of the brand?Through my blog bipling.com

You’re known for your fun style, what was it that appealed to you about the Nike Made For You collection?I think every day is a stylie day, so when working out why not get into a stylie style.

Can you remember your first pair of Nikes?My Indian grandmother Didas bought me Nikes when I first learnt how to walk. They were white with a blue Nike swish swoosh and with Velcro.

What are your top tunes to listen to while you work out?
I like to listen to Drum and Bass when I work out. It seems to give me lots of energy; it’s great fun to listen to when I punch the peanut ball in the gym and also for runs outside. Makes me feel like I am Sonic the Hedgehog.

First and Forever

Do you remember your first pair of DMs? Twin”s Editor Becky Smith certainly does and still dons them now and then for an instant flash of Nineties nostalgia. For the second in their series of #firstandforever stories in collaboration with Dr. Marten”s, online magazine Le Cool, asked Becky to relive her first love – a pair of black DM boots.

2011 Rewind: Fashion

In the second part of our look back over the past year, Twin’s fashion team name their stars of 2011 and who to watch out for in the next 12 months…

Celestine Cooney – Fashion Director

My favourite show of 2011 was Simone Rocha Spring/Summer 12. I fell in love with the whole collection, it felt so modern and was executed so perfectly with the combination of traditional lace with sheer tulle and rubber. The use of colour in Spring/Summer 12 was also really inspiring with bright pink and a lucid green popping in a collection of black and white.

I think Simone Rocha is a star in the making. I find what she is doing and the collections she is producing, incredibly exciting.

Naomi Miller – Fashion Editor

I loved the Celine collection for Spring/Summer 2012. It was very chic, the couple of knitwear pieces they did were beautiful and so innovative.

Obviously it’s been an incredible 2011 for Sarah Burton, but I’m also stoked for Olivier Theyskens for putting Theyskens’ Theory on the map this year. I also loved the Thomas Tait show – and loved the styling with the sneakers!

2011 Rewind: Part I

As one year passes to the next, Twin thought it time to pause and reflect. And who better to kick off our New Year rewind than Twin editor, Becky Smith…

So, 2011 was a mad mix. From the Kardashian’s, who spread throughout the globe like a new herpes type of disease, becoming the most googled thing in the UK, to the riots, which were basically extreme shopping. There was structured reality courtesy of TOWIE, Made in Chelsea and Desperate Scousewives. WARNING – this can bring on early dementia and is to be avoided unless hungover. There was also 4D TV – total bollocks – and the Beckhams posing the big question, has Victoria finally worn us down into believing she is credible? Not to forget the Higgs Boson. Does anyone actually know what this is?

To sum up the best and worst of 2011, here are a few of my favorite Portmanteaus:Après-olution: relaxation that follows the ritualistic but often quixotic making of New Years’ resolutions.

Occupy-movement: New mode of urban habitation which has replaced loft living. All the best people are now doing it, though most only stay a night or two.

Bunga bunga: Phrase associated, for largely unknown reasons, with Silvio Berlusconi’s sex parties. I think I get it though.

Lottoroticism: The arousal and satisfaction of excitement within or by oneself as one imagines what they would do if they hit the lottery. I think I feel this every year.

Planking: See here. The act of balancing yourself in a horizontal position on top of unlikely objects. There are strict rules for proper planking: the planker must be lying face down, completely still, with his or her hands by her sides – I can’t help but think of the economy right now.

And so, to 2012. The events I’m looking forward to are:Becoming a Mumpreneur: A woman who combines running a business with looking after her children. Actually, this is a lie. I don’t have children or plan to.

Flying Cuddle Class: When two airline passengers buy an additional seat so that they can recline together.

And above all…

Mamil(s): A middle-aged man in Lycra

AND

Mullet dress(es): A woman’s skirt cut short at the front but long at the back.

Theyskens’ Theory

It’s an intimate and lasting insight into his much-adored and critically-acclaimed work for the New York brand. With conversation ranging from his interpretation of style to the influence of art on his designs, Olivier also touched on his long-standing love of New York- as youthful aspiration, creative melting pot and, most recently, home. Having lived there for the past year, his S/S ’12 collection with Theyskens’ Theory was a love letter to the essence of effortless downtown style. Rendered in a romantic, urban palette that could have been lifted from the photos which adorned his childhood bedroom, and embodied by a succession of utterly wearable, highly desirable pieces, there is no doubt that Olivier’s vision of contemporary femininity will continue to capture hearts and minds everywhere.

Watch the film and read his story in his own words as part of Twin Issue V.

Young and Talented

For Twin V we’ve gone to the roots of female creativity and taken a look at the growing young talent working right now. Twin spoke to Grace LaDoja, whose ambition and hard-work has singled her out from her peers. Grace’s eyes and ears are firmly locked on the youth culture pavement. The filmmaker has been documenting youth sub cultures since her first job at 17 and it was her childhood in London that shaped her world.

“Growing up in a three bedroom house with eight other kids around me I learnt if you don’t get up and do something you’ll be unnoticed,” says Grace. “In London you are surrounded by everything culturally relevant. I sucked it all up. I wasn’t the stereotypical black girl living in north London. I was into different music, different scenes on every level. I started running with the things surrounding me. I didn’t even skate but I was fascinated by the scene.”

As part of her first job at sneaker community Crooked Tongues, Grace flew around the world shooting films for brands like Adidas, Stussy and Etnies. Finally a year ago she set up her own production company LaDoja and Sons and has since worked with brands like Nike and Swatch as well as making documentaries such as London to Paris – a film about the cycling scene.

“I love youth culture and I want to document what’s happening now. In the same way as people look to the Eighties and Nineties I want to give kids in the future something to reference from this era. Eventually I’d love to make films like Spike Lee and Martin Scorcese, telling the story of what’s happening.”

“We live in a generation where everyone’s someone and wants to be their own boss. I feel proud to be where I am. I’ve got a space with 15 people working in there and we’re working with big brands. I’m doing something I love and I’m making money. I’m not faking it.”

Twin presents 1 x 1

Love tennis? Tomorrow Twin teams up with Nike to take over their relaunched 1948 Shoreditch space. To mark the Wimbledon Women’s Final, we’re celebrating female creativity with a series of one-on-one collaborative events. Watch the women’s tennis alongside exclusive performance from poet and musician Kate Tempest in a sound clash with the Bruccheri Strings, enjoy collaborative creative clashes between cake maker Lily Vanilli and illustrator Kate Merry as well as a live fashion shoot with photographer Letty Schmiterlow and stylist Alice Goddard.

Spaces are limited, but to come along to this very special 1 x 1 event which takes place from 1 – 6pm at 1948 email: [email protected]

Soap opera

Soap is one of my grand obsessions. I generally shower once a day with a great block of it and have been known to take up to two baths in addition to my shower. I am a cleansaholic. And if I had a to choose just one item to take to a desert island (cliched though that thought may be), the one item would be soap (although mascara would come close!). My favourite destinations to shop for soap are Liberty‘s beauty hall and Fresh (I love their milk soaps). But a rather magical soap brand has recently come to my attention and it is called Dr Bronner. Dr Bronner is probably one of the only beauty gurus to have been locked up in a mental asylum and go on to found a beauty brand. This was just one of the things that endeared me to it! He’s long gone now but his soaps – liquid and solid- remain and they are rather fabulous too. Not only are they vegan and organic and free from the harsh detergent ingredient Sodium Laureth Sulphate but they smell delicious – almond and rose are my favourites. They are incredibly gentle with a sparse and soft lather that is not in the slightest synthetic and foamy. What’s more, the company gives between 30% and 70% of post-tax profits to various charities and donates 20p from the sale of every soap bottle in the UK to the charity War Child. It’s a truly ethical and caring enterprise, but equally importantly a really pleasurable product to use in the shower or bath. From Waitrose, Whole Foods, Planet Organic and Fresh and Wild.

Notes on a Scent

What fragrance to wear with vintage clothing? This is a question I often ponder. Should one team a delicious piece of vintage with an equally arcane perfume – a Shalimar or a Miss Dior or an Arpege – and thus create a sort of double whammy of historically resonant cloaking. Or do you update a vintage outfit with a resolutely contemporary perfume and allow it to provide an olfactive update/contrast to your outfit? Well perhaps Dior have dreamed up the answer. Collection Privee is a wonderful edit of eight wonderfully uncommercial new fragrances. These are perfumes with integrity: rich with history and imagination yet completely contemporary. New Look 1947 is not only a fantastic name and idea for a perfume – a scent inspired by that timeless nipped-in silhouette – it is, in my humble opinion a great choice to team with that prized vintage dress. The constituent notes are tuberose, rose, jasmine and vanilla. It is a modern floral, not cloying and concentrated like the florals of yore. Nor has it been corrupted into one of those horrible ubiquitous cynically commercial fruity florals. Or rendered cologne like by the addition of too much citrus. No, it is ladylike and powdery and ideal if you want to feel feminine and precise without feeling blousy or saccharine.

Tan Lines

It’s that time of year again when the majority of people think about tanning. However, I am not in that majority. I can count the number of times I have tanned in my life on one hand and I am fast approaching forty. Therefore, for a great number of years I have remained proudly milky pale. I think it’s an alternative/indie thing, in my teens, the eighties, red lipstick and pale skin were the apogee of underground style, as epitomised by Vivienne Westwood muse Sara Stockbridge and the androgyne model Jenny Howarth. Nowadays its indie queens like Gwen Stefani, Beth Ditto and Dita Von Teese who embody the pale look. And it’s these gals I’d want to be in a gang with, not orange hued WAGs or Katie Price. However this year I have to admit, for the first time in a lifetime I’m strangely drawn to the idea of tanning. Obviously it would be a very subtle golden tan, not the creosote hue once favoured by Victoria Beckham. But some kind of gentle olive tint, a Mediterranean sun kissed teint, might just be nice come summer sun. I have yet to explore the range of products on offer, but I’m thinking the St Tropez No Tan Tan might be the one for me. Or at least a touch of Johnsons Holiday Skin on my rather chalky legs. I’m not sure if this is a flirtation or a genuine commitment to the idea of a tan. After all my whole identity is bound up with being pale. Whatever, I will keep you posted.